Willem de Kooning Quotes

A collection of quotes by Willem de Kooning.

Willem de Kooning (1904-1997) was a Dutch-American abstract expressionist painter. Born in Rotterdam, Netherlands, de Kooning immigrated to the United States in 1926. He became a prominent figure in the New York art scene, known for his bold and gestural style. De Kooning's work often explored the human figure, blending abstraction and representation. He was a leading member of the abstract expressionist movement and a key figure in shaping American art in the post-war era. De Kooning's innovative and influential contributions to modern art continue to be celebrated and studied today.

My interest in desperation lies only in that sometimes I fin

My interest in desperation lies only in that sometimes I find myself having become desperate. Very seldom do I start out that way. I can see of course that, in the abstract, thinking and all activity is rather desperate.

Willem de Kooning

Despair

In art, one idea is as good as another. If one takes the ide

In art, one idea is as good as another. If one takes the idea of trembling, for instance, all of a sudden most art starts to tremble. Michelangelo starts to tremble. El Greco starts to tremble. All the Impressionists start to tremble.

Willem de Kooning

Art

Whatever an artist's personal feelings are, as soon as an ar

Whatever an artist's personal feelings are, as soon as an artist fills a certain area on the canvas or circumscribes it, he becomes historical. He acts from or upon other artists.

Willem de Kooning

Art

An artist is forced by others to paint out of his own free w

An artist is forced by others to paint out of his own free will.

Willem de Kooning

Art

The attitude that nature is chaotic and that the artist puts

The attitude that nature is chaotic and that the artist puts order into it is a very absurd point of view, I think. All that we can hope for is to put some order into ourselves.

Willem de Kooning

Attitude

Style is a fraud. I always felt the Greeks were hiding behin

Style is a fraud. I always felt the Greeks were hiding behind their columns.

Willem de Kooning

Style

The trouble with being poor is that it takes up all your tim

The trouble with being poor is that it takes up all your time.

Willem de Kooning

Wealth